A/N:
Thank you so much for the great response the last chapter got. I am so thrilled you like my humanizing of the great SVM-tale!
Thank you also to my sweet friend Rascalthemutant for reading and correcting this!
I do not own the character or any passages from the SVM-books. Charlaine Harris does. I only took them home with me to play house 😀
I was awoken the next morning by a basic need that I had to see to. I went to the bathroom, took care of business and also had a glass of water to drink. My mouth felt like someone had put carpet on my tongue and painted my teeth with cotton, so I decided to brush my teeth too.
I looked in the mirror and smiled. I had married Eric Northman and now I had made love to him too. I wasn`t sure what the future would bring, but right now, things looked good. I would of course have preferred a marriage out of love, but I liked Eric and he seemed to like me. We were great friends and we had a connection I had never had with anyone before. He was funny and charming and really smart. And the sex was amazing.
I knew it wasn`t the marriage I had always dreamed of, but I refused to ruin my good mood and let my thoughts wander in that direction. Right now I was in the honeymoon suite with my husband and never mind the rest.
Of course, my mind never did as it was told. It reminded me of Eric the womanizer and tried to tell me this would all end in tears. So I quickly walked out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom.
Eric looked so good lying there on his stomach with the covers halfway down, revealing his strong back and just a hint of butt cheek.
I crawled under the covers and put my arm on his back and my leg over his thighs. I sighed and kissed his shoulder.
Eric stirred and lifted his head. His beautiful blue eyes opened and looked straight at me. They made me all warm and fuzzy inside. A great night had really softened me towards my new husband.
I smiled at him. “Good morning, sunshine,” I said with a smile.
“Good morning, lover. Or should I say, good morning, wife?”
He kissed my cheek and then worked his way to my ear and down to my neck. I closed my eyes and felt goosebumps starting to form on my neck and back. He licked me tentatively just where my hair met my neck and then he nibbled a little.
I couldn`t help moaning when his hand touched the small of my back and worked its way down to my behind. He lingered a little there while my hand trailed down to copy his hand. We played a game of copy for a while, stroking and caressing each other`s butts with our palms and fingers.
Eric pushed me slightly backwards and then he kissed my collar bone and my chest, going down to one of my breasts where he stopped. He kissed it and sucked gently and I made little sounds of pleasure.
I let my hand make circles around his nipples. I then pushed him to lie on his back and started sucking on them.
“Bite me,” Eric said, and he meant it literally.
“Why?”
“Because it makes me feel good,” he said. “Just . . . for that.”
I bit him and he made all kinds of sounds that went straight to my gut, and further down.
“Would you like to be on top?” Eric asked.
“We could do that for a while,” I said, trying not to sound too femme fatale. In fact, it was hard not to growl. Before I could even gather myself I had put a condom on him and I was straddling him.
His eyes were intent on mine. His hands went up to my breasts, caressing and pinching gently, and his mouth followed after his hands.
I was afraid I was losing control of my leg muscles, I was so relaxed. I moved slowly, not very regularly. I felt the tension gradually beginning to build. I began to focus, to move steadily.
“Slow,” he said, and I reduced the pace. His hands found my hips and began to direct me.
“Oh,” I said, as a sharper pleasure began to seep through me. He’d found my pleasure center with his thumb. I began to speed things up, and if he tried to slow me after that, I ignored it. I rose and fell faster and faster, and then pinched his nipple, since I couldn`t bite it from my current position. He yelled, an incoherent sound of release and relief. That was enough to finish me, and I collapsed on top of him. I licked his nipple lazily.
“Perfect,” he said. “Perfect.”
I started to tell him he couldn’t possibly mean that, as many women as he’d had over the years, but I figured,`Why spoil the moment`? Let it be. In a rare moment of wisdom, I listened to my own advice.
I was completely spent, but Eric seemed to have gotten energy out of our lovemaking. He kissed me and sat up on his knees, his naked torso for my eyes only.
“Let`s go to Denmark again,” he suddenly said out loud. “My mother has been asking me to attend some rich-people-get-together and she promised to behave towards you. Actually her exact words were `I want to welcome her to our family`.” Eric smiled and I couldn`t imagine where that sudden naiveté of his had come from. His mother would rather welcome the devil than me. Which she probably had. “We could have a great honeymoon after we`ve meeted and greeted for a day or two.” He looked at me. “What do you say?”
I didn`t have words. He wanted me to meet his mother, who disliked my very being, together with a lot of rich people who would make me feel like the poor cousin from the countryside? And then he would take me on a honeymoon for a marriage that was just for practical reasons.
I looked at him. Maybe the marriage had turned into something more and we really should have a honeymoon. But the mother-in-law was the same.
“Do we have to meet your mother?”
Eric was quiet for a moment. “No, of course we don`t have to. But she is my mother and this was important to her. And things would be so much easier if she actually acknowledges you.”
“What things?”
“Well, everything. Family events, my relationship to her… my life.” Eric drew a breath.
I couldn`t help laughing. “Ok. I can`t resist those puppy-dog eyes. And if you really think she`ll behave, then I won`t turn her down. She is your mother.”
“She is,” he sighed.
“But if she mentions babies, I`m out of there.”
“Me too,” he laughed. “Me too.”
That made me study him a little closer. He didn`t want children or he didn`t want children with me? Or was he just agreeing with me? I mentally slapped myself for even going down that road of thoughts.
Xxxxx
I ended up saying yes to going to Denmark. Eric could be very persuasive and I was also intrigued. We were going to the small village of Rude and were staying at the castle of Holsteinborg. The castle was owned by one of Denmark`s richest men and was therefore a fitting meeting place for rich people from all over Europe.
Eric would not tell me where we were going on our honeymoon afterwards and it bugged me. He had arranged a sweet and wonderful wedding, but I didn`t want him to take over my life and run it for me. Bill had done that and I did not want it repeated.
But then I forgot just how annoyed I was when I held Eric`s hand and looked him deep in the eyes.
xxx
Eric wasn`t the only one taking over my life. Pam had met us at the hotel with a suitcase for each of us. She had found some clothes for me to wear on the trip and they were neatly packed in the suitcase labeled “Sookie Northman” (which was Pam`s joke, not my name). And when I said found, I didn`t mean found in my wardrobe. All the clothes were brand new and from shops I would never enter even if they paid me to be there, which they never would. It was way too expensive for my taste.
Pam explained that there were certain requirements when one met up with the rich and powerful, and one of them was being well-dressed. I tried to tell her I wasn`t her personal Barbie doll, but that just made her laugh.
So I went on a trip to meet a person I didn`t want to meet, at a conference I didn`t want to attend, wearing clothes I didn`t like to wear.
I guess it showed just how close I had gotten to Eric Northman. And that troubled me more than the mother-in-law and the clothes.
Xxxx
Rude was a good hour drive from Copenhagen. We had to take little country roads the last half hour and I got to see the flat pastures of Denmark. They were of course mainly grey and brown now with the winter, but there was no snow as in Norway.
The roads got more and more narrow and when we drove through Rude, I almost felt as if we drove through the living rooms of the houses close to the road.
So when we finally came to the castle, I had to gape. It was huge. Eric told me the castle had been built in the 13th century and that didn`t make me gape any less. It was a beautiful castle, situated by the water and with a huge forest surrounding it.
Large wooden doors were opened by men dressed in 17th century clothes, white wigs and all. It seemed ridiculous and I couldn`t stop a giggle. Pam winked at me and I giggled some more. I was like a school girl in the line to a boyband concert.
Our suitcases were carried by some of the dressed up men. They all had a stiff face and their eyes never met ours.
“Let me give you the grand tour of the castle, Sookie. I don`t think my mother has arrived yet which means we have some time to ourselves. Maybe we should start by checking out our room?” His smile indicated that he mainly wanted to check out the bed.
Pam rolled her eyes. “You are so subtle, big brother. I know I wanted you two to get together, but please keep your love life to yourself.”
“Your life would be so boring without having front row tickets to mine, Pam,” Eric teased.
“Your love life was giving me an ulcer, but I hope those days are over now that you`ve married Sookie,” Pam stated. “Now I just want to puke from all your affection and that is so much better than constant stomach pains.”
Eric opened his mouth for a comeback when I took his hand and pulled at him.
“Let us look at the castle, Eric. We can always see our room later.”
Eric was like a kid being dragged empty-handed out of a candy store, but regained his smile.
“Of course, Sookie. Very wise of you to leave our room as the last stop on our tour.” And then he kissed me.
“Good grief.” Pam stuck her tongue out at us.
Xxxx
The castle was huge and so was the park. It was pretty cold so when we came back to the castle, I tried to get inside as fast as possible. In my efforts to escape the freezing temperatures, I ran straight into a guy and almost fell to the floor.
He steadied me with his hand on my arm and when I looked at him, I saw a familiar face.
“Barry!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” Before he got a chance to answer, I threw myself into a hug with him.
We hugged for a long time and he kept saying my name, first surprised and then thrilled.
After some time, Eric coughed slightly and we pulled back. I smiled at Eric, so happy to have met my old friend in this unlikely place.
“Barry, this is my hmmm husband Eric.” This was the first time I introduced him as my husband and it felt very strange. “Eric, my old friend from university, Barry.”
They shook hands, but I couldn`t take my eyes off Barry.
“Wow, what happened to that skinny boy who used to complain about no one noticing him? You have really filled out.”
And he had. I didn`t even know it was possible to double your shoulder width, but Barry had. His chest was muscular and his upper arms were very toned. He wore a tight t-shirt to emphasize his new body even if the weather definitely called for sweaters and long sleeves.
“I got sick of my own whining and got myself a membership in a sports club.”
“Good for you,” I said and I couldn`t help touching his biceps.
“You on the other hand look just as great as you did back then,” Barry flattered me.
I giggled a little. “I think you were the only one who thought I looked even half-decent of all the kids on campus. You saved my self-esteem, you know.”
Eric sidestepped a little and tried to get my attention.
“We should get going, Sookie,” he said.
I looked at him, not really understanding what the hurry was. He then pulled me away which made me slightly annoyed. I hadn`t seen my old friend in over five years and Eric could have spared me a few more minutes. But then I figured we would see much more of Barry since we were staying at the same castle.
“See you later, Barry,” I yelled at him when we were leaving the room.
“Looking forward to it, sweetheart,” he replied.
A/N:
Just for the record: The count living on Holsteinborg castle is by no means rich – I just made him that for my little tale. He will probably be pleased, he needs the money for very necessary maintainance. The village of Rude (where my mother lives, btw :-D) was just too close to `Rhodes` for me not to use it. Ah, I`m so cheap.
I hope you liked this chapter.
If you worry about Barry being a threat – don`t. That`s all I can say 😀